The Life and Crimes of Al Capone Updated February 29, 2016. Who Was Al Capone? Al Capone was a notorious gangster who ran an organized crime syndicate in Chicago during the 1920s, taking advantage of the era of Prohibition . Capone, who was both charming and charitable as well as powerful and vicious, became an iconic figure of the successful American gangster. Dates: January 17, 1899 -- January 25, 1947 Also Known As: Alphonse Capone, Scarface Al Capone's Childhood Al Capone was the fourth of nine children born to Gabriele and Teresina (Teresa) Capone. Although Capone's parents had emigrated from Italy, Al Capone grew up in Brooklyn, New York . From all known accounts, Capone's childhood was a normal one. His father was a barber and his mother stayed home with the children. They were a tight-knit Italian family who were trying to succeed in their new country. Like many immigrant families at the time, the Capone children often dropped out of school early to help earn money for the family.

Al Capone stayed in school until he was 14 and then left to take a number of odd jobs. continue reading below our video The St. Valentine's Day Massacre Around the same time, Capone joined a street gang called the South Brooklyn Rippers and then later the Five Points Juniors. These were groups of teenagers who roamed the streets, protected their turf from rival gangs, and sometimes carried out petty crimes like stealing cigarettes. Scarface It was through the Five Points gang that Al Capone came to the attention of brutal New York mobster Frankie Yale. In 1917, 18-year-old Al Capone went to work for Yale at the Harvard Inn as a bartender and as a waiter and bouncer when needed. Capone watched and learned as Yale used violence to maintain control over his empire. One day while working at the Harvard Inn, Capone saw a man and woman sitting at a table. After his initial advances were ignored, Capone went up to the good-looking woman and whispered in her ear, "Honey, you have a nice ass and I mean that as a compliment." The man with her was her brother, Frank Gallucio.

Defending his sister's honor, Gallucio punched Capone. However, Capone didn't let it end there; he decided to fight back. Gallucio then took out a knife and slashed at Capone's face, managing to cut Capone's left cheek three times (one of which cut Capone from ear to mouth). The scars left from this attack led to Capone's nickname of "Scarface," a name he personally hated. Family Life Not long after this attack, Al Capone met Mary ("Mae") Coughlin, who was pretty, blonde, middle-class, and came from a respectable Irish family. A few months after they started dating, Mae became pregnant. Al Capone and Mae got married on December 30, 1918, three weeks after their son (Albert Francis Capone, a.k.a. "Sonny") was born. Sonny was to remain Capone's only child. Throughout the rest of his life, Al Capone kept his family and his business interests completely separate. Capone was a doting father and husband, taking great care in keeping his family safe, cared for, and out of the spotlight.

However, despite his love for his family, Capone did have a number of mistresses over the years. Plus, unknown to him at the time, Capone contracted syphilis from a prostitute before he met Mae. Since the symptoms of syphilis can disappear quickly, Capone had no idea that he still had the sexually transmitted disease or that it would so greatly affect his health in later years. Capone Moves to Chicago About 1920, Capone left the East Coast and headed to Chicago. He was looking for a fresh start working for Chicago crime boss Johnny Torrio. Unlike Yale who used violence to run his racket, Torrio was a sophisticated gentleman who preferred cooperation and negotiation to rule his crime organization. Capone was to learn a lot from Torrio. Capone started out in Chicago as a manager for the Four Deuces, a place where clients could drink and gamble downstairs or visit prostitutes upstairs. Capone did well in this position and worked hard to earn Torrio's respect. Soon Torrio had increasingly important jobs for Capone and by 1922 Capone had risen up the ranks in Torrio's organization. When William E.

Dever, an honest man, took over as Chicago's mayor in 1923, Torrio decided to avoid the mayor's attempts to curb crime by moving his headquarters to the Chicago suburb of Cicero. It was Capone who made this happen. Capone established speakeasies, brothels, and gambling joints. Capone also worked diligently to get all the important city officials on his payroll. It didn't take long for Capone to "own" Cicero. Capone had more than proven his worth to Torrio and it wasn't long before Torrio handed over the entire organization to Capone. Capone Becomes Crime Boss Following the November 1924 murder of Dion O'Banion (an associate of Torrio and Capone's who had become untrustworthy), Torrio and Capone were seriously hunted by one of O'Banion's vengeful friends. Fearing for his life, Capone drastically upgraded everything about his personal safety, including surrounding himself with bodyguards and ordering a bulletproof Cadillac sedan. Torrio, on the other hand, did not greatly change his routine and on January 12, 1925 was savagely attacked just outside his home.

Nearly killed, Torrio decided to retire and hand his entire organization over to Capone in March 1925. Capone had learned well from Torrio and soon proved himself to be an extremely successful crime boss. Capone as a Celebrity Gangster Al Capone, only 26-years old, was now in charge of a very large crime organization that included brothels, nightclubs, dance halls, race tracks, gambling establishments, restaurants, speakeasies, breweries, and distilleries. As a major crime boss in Chicago, Capone put himself in the public's eye. Capone was an outlandish character. He dressed in colorful suits, wore a white fedora hat, proudly displayed his 11.5 carat diamond pinky ring, and would often pull out his huge roll of bills while out in public places. It was hard not to notice Al Capone. Capone was also known for his generosity. He would frequently tip a waiter $100, had standing orders in Cicero to hand out coal and clothes to the needy during the cold winters, and opened some of the first soup kitchens during the Great Depression .

There were also numerous stories of how Capone would personally help out when he heard a hard-luck story, such as a woman considering turning to prostitution to help her family or a young kid who couldn't go to college because of the high cost of tuition. Capone was so generous to the average citizen that some even considered him a modern-day Robin Hood. Capone the Killer As much as the average citizen considered Capone to be a generous benefactor and local celebrity, Capone was also a cold-blooded killer. Although the exact numbers will never be known, it is believed that Capone personally murdered dozens of people and ordered the killing of hundreds of others. One such example of Capone handling things personally occurred in the spring of 1929. Capone had learned that three of his associates planned to betray him, so he invited all three to a huge banquet. After the three unsuspecting men had eaten heartily and drank their fill, Capone's bodyguards quickly tied them to their chairs. Capone then picked up a baseball bat and began hitting them, breaking bone after bone. When Capone was done with them, the three men were shot in the head and their bodies dumped out of town.

The most famous example of a hit believed to be ordered by Capone was the February 14, 1929 assassination now called the St. Valentine's Day Massacre . On that day, Capone's henchman "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn attempted to lure rival crime leader George "Bugs" Moran into a garage and kill him. The ruse was actually quite elaborate and would have been completely successful if Moran hadn't been running a few minutes late. Still, seven of Moran's top men were gunned down in that garage. Tax Evasion Despite committing murder and other crimes for years, it was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre that brought Capone to the attention of the federal government. When President Herbert Hoover learned about Capone, Hoover personally pushed for Capone's arrest. The federal government had a two-pronged attack plan. One part of the plan included collecting evidence of Prohibition violations as well as shutting down Capone's illegal businesses. Treasury agent Eliot Ness and his group of "Untouchables" were to enact this part of the plan by frequently raiding Capone's breweries and speakeasies.

The forced shut down, plus the confiscation of all that was found, severely hurt Capone's business -- and his pride. The second part of the government's plan was to find evidence of Capone not paying taxes on his massive income. Capone had been careful over the years to run his businesses with cash only or through third parties. However, the IRS found an incriminating ledger and some witnesses who were able to testify against Capone. On October 6, 1931, Capone was brought to trial. He was charged with 22 counts of tax evasion and 5,000 violations of the Volstead Act (the main Prohibition law). The first trial focused only on the tax evasion charges. On October 17, Capone was found guilty of only five of the 22 tax evasion charges. The judge, not wanting Capone to get off easily, sentenced Capone to 11 years in prison, $50,000 in fines, and court costs totalling $30,000. Capone was completely shocked. He had thought he could bribe the jury and get away with these charges just like he had dozens of others.

He had no idea that this was to be the end of his reign as crime boss. He was only 32 years old. Capone Goes to Alcatraz When most high ranking gangsters went to prison, they usually bribed the warden and prison guards in order to make their stay behind bars plush with amenities. Capone was not that lucky. The government wanted to make an example of him. After his appeal was denied, Capone was taken to the Atlanta Penitentiary in Georgia on May 4, 1932. When rumors leaked out that Capone had been receiving special treatment there, he was chosen to be one of the first inmates at the new maximum security prison at Alcatraz in San Francisco. When Capone arrived at Alcatraz in August 1934, he became prisoner number 85. There were no bribes and no amenities at Alcatraz. Capone was in a new prison with the most violent of criminals, many of whom wanted to challenge the tough gangster from Chicago. However, just as daily life became more brutal for him, his body began to suffer from the long-term effects of syphilis.

Over the next several years, Capone began to grow increasingly disoriented, experienced convulsions, slurred speech, and a shuffling walk. His mind quickly deteriorated. After spending four-and-a-half years at Alcatraz, Capone was transferred on January 6, 1939 to a hospital at the Federal Correctional Institution in Los Angeles. A few months after that Capone was transferred to a penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. On November 16, 1939, Capone was paroled. Retirement and Death Capone had tertiary syphilis and it wasn't something that could be healed. However, Capone's wife, Mae, took him to a number of different doctors. Despite many novel attempts at a cure, Capone's mind continued to degenerate. Capone spent his remaining years in quiet retirement at his estate in Miami, Florida while his health slowly got worse. On January 19, 1947, Capone suffered a stroke. After developing pneumonia, Capone died on January 25, 1947 of cardiac arrest at age 48.

Al Capone Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline Criminals Al Capone Biography Al Capone was a notorious American gangster. This biography of Al Capone provides detailed information about his childhood, life, profile & timeline. Quick Facts Brooklyn, New York, United States Died on Palm Island, Florida, United States Personality Type Catholic school By Chicago Bureau (Federal Bureau of Investigation) - Wide World Photos [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Al Capone was one of the most notorious gangsters of all time. His tales of terror sends shivers down the spines of people across the world even till date. Caponeâs notoriety has been a source of great inspiration for few movies where the central character was modelled based on his tale. Though Capone dropped out of school at a really early age, and belonged to poor parents, he managed to become really wealthy and influential within a few years. After working as a petty thief with few small time gangs, he was adopted by the noted gangster Torrio, who helped him become a really big name in the crime world. Capone had also helped politician William Thompson win the elections through his power.

In his initial years, Capone had earned the reputation amongst the public for being a âRobin Hoodâ of sorts. He even donated large amounts money earned through his crime business to charity, however he totally damaged his reputation with the cold-blooded St. Valentineâs Massacre. In spite of being a mafia leader, itâs claimed that Capone was very polite and generous, but he also turned out to be the worst enemy if someone went against him. Childhood & Early Life Al Capone was born on 17 January 1899, in New York, to Teresina and Gabriele Capone. Both his parents were immigrants of Italian origin. While Caponeâs mother worked as a seamstress, his father Gabriele worked as a barber. His original name was Alphonse Capone. Capone discontinued his studies when he was just a sixth grader. Itâs claimed that he was expelled from school since he had assaulted his teacher. He later took up petty jobs to support himself. Capone was soon noticed by then noted gangster Johnny Torrio.

In 1920, Torrio took the young Capone under his wings, and made him a part of the infamous âChicago Outfitâ. The gang was into businesses such as prostitution, drug trafficking, and many others. Later Life Capone soon became a deputy to Johnny Torrio after James Colosimo, also known as âBig Jimâ was brutally killed. âBig Jimâ was the founder of the gang, and completely controlled the prostitution business himself. It was alleged that his death was a conspiracy planned by Capone himself. In 1925, few members of rival gangs tried assassinating Capone, but he escaped. Within a few days even Johnny Torrio was attacked. Post these incidents, Torrio decided to flee the country. He appointed Capone as the new head of the gang. The then 26 year old Capone had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders. Other than the flesh trade, there were also liquor and transportation businesses to handle. Capone used violence to the best of his advantage to extract more income out of such businesses. Firms had no choice but to trade with Caponeâs gang, else they had to face dire consequences.

Capone became such an influential person that he played an important role in helping politician William Thompson win the election of Mayor of Chicago. Capone had apparently donated $250,000 to support William in the 1927 elections, in which the latter emerged victorious. However, Caponeâs growing notoriety posed to be a threat for Williamâs political image, and the gangster was ignored very soon. The US government decided to tighten its screws on Capone in 1927. He was asked to declare all his illegal assets. In 1929, Capone was tried by the federal court for various crimes. He was jailed the same year for possessing a gun during a trip to Philadelphia. He spent the next nine months behind bars. In 1931, Capone was sentenced to jail on charges of income tax evasion. After spending two years in a jail near Atlanta, Capone was shifted to the notorious Alcatraz prison where he spent several years. Since the jail was located on an island, it cut off Caponeâs contacts with the outside world. When Capone came out of jail he was mentally disoriented and was suffering from several diseases.

Major Crimes A crime which Capone is remembered for till date is the St. Valentineâs Day massacre of 1929. Capone wanted to completely wipe out the âNorth Sideâ gang, most importantly its leader Bugs Moran to take Chicagoâs control completely under his wings. Caponeâs henchmen stayed in a dwelling near Moranâs warehouse to keep a close watch on his movements. Caponeâs gang members then posed as policeman and carried out a fake raid on Moranâs hideout. The seven members of the Moran gang were then gunned down by Caponeâs men. Personal Life & Legacy Capone had 8 other siblings. Two of his brothers Ralph and Frank worked along with him, and managed few activities of his gang. Ralph mainly looked after the bottling business, which had both legal and illegal aspects, hence earning him the nickname âbottlesâ. Capone had an affair with a woman named Mae Josephine Coughlin. Coughlin was pregnant with their son Albert before the marriage. Post Albertâs birth, Capone and Coughlin got married, in 1918.

After Capone earned enough money he bought a modest house in the south side of Chicago where he moved along with his family, including his siblings. Capone had contracted the dreaded disease Syphilis at a young age, however he left it untreated. When Capone was jailed at Alcatraz, the disease had reached an advanced stage and deteriorated his health. In 1939, Capone was released from Alcatraz jail after serving an imprisonment of 6 years. He was later shifted to a hospital located in Baltimore for mental treatment. He stayed at this place for the next 3 years. Capone finally succumbed to cardiac arrest on 25 January 1947, and died at the age of 48. Trivia Al Capone has been an inspiration for more than a dozen movies and television projects. Though a biopic titled âAl Copaneâ, made in 1959, was a direct take on his life, he has also been portrayed under various fictitious names in several other movies. His style of wearing the fedora hat has been a popular trend, and is being followed by many till date.

Translate this page to Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese Pictures of Al Capone The Final Insanity of Al Capone: Was Notorious Gangster Haunted by a Hapless Victim? | Ancient Origins 4 May, 2015 - 15:31 aprilholloway The Final Insanity of Al Capone: Was Notorious Gangster Haunted by a Hapless Victim? (Read the article on one page) Al Capone was a notorious American gangster whose multi-million dollar Chicago operation in bootlegging, prostitution and gambling dominated the organized crime scene for nearly a decade. At the height of his power, he employed over 1,000 gunmen in his service and had up to half of the city’s police force on his payroll. Yet in his final years, he had descended into a frightened, quivering mess, who would scream out at night for ‘Jimmy’ to leave him alone. Did Al Capone suffer mental illness in his final years, or was he haunted by one his hapless victims? Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (1899 – 1947) was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of recent Italian immigrants.

His entrance into a life of crime began when he moved to Chicago and became a friend and bodyguard to Johnny Torrio, head of a criminal syndicate that illegally supplied alcohol during America’s Prohibition era. Al Capone is shown here in 1930 at the Chicago Detective bureau following his arrest on a vagrancy charge ( Wikimedia Commons ) It was not long before Al Capone had adopted the life of a dangerous gangster and by the age of 26, he was a powerful crime boss who had both political and law-enforcement protection. He used bribery and widespread intimidation to influence elections, and violence and murder to ensure his business in illegal breweries was a success. Capone was left virtually untouched by the law until the brutal Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre of gang rivals, which led influential citizens to demand government action. Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre By early 1929, Capone dominated the illegal liquor trade in Chicago. But other racketeers, known as the North Side Gang, vied for a piece of the profitable bootlegging business, and among them was Capone’s long-time rival “Bugs” Moran. Capone decided that Moran was too great a threat and had to go.

On the morning of February 14, 1929, Capone’s men, posing as police, launched a fake raid on the North Side Gang. The faux police lined 7 men along a wall and then mowed them down with machine guns. Alerted to the danger ahead of time, Bugs Moran escaped the slaughter. Photos of the victims shocked the public and damaged Capone’s reputation among his political allies and a decision was made to finally act on Capone’s lawlessness. The photo of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre finally forced law enforcement to act against Al Capone ( Wikimedia Commons ) Without proof to tie him to the massacre, Capone had to be brought in on other charges. In May 1929, Capone was arrested for carrying a gun during a trip to Philadelphia and was sentenced to a prison term in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. Al Capone Tormented by ‘Jimmy’ Al Capone’s connections ensured he was given top treatment in prison. While other prisoners suffered in bare, concrete cells with a simple slab for a bed, Capone’s cell was adorned with fine furniture, oil paintings, and a radio.

But his ‘luxurious’ cell, did little to make Capone’s stay a comfortable one – it was not long before the rough and tough crime boss had transformed into a weeping and terrified mess who would send out blood-curdling screams at night, shouting for ‘Jimmy’ to leave him alone. Left: A regular cell at Eastern State Penitentiary ( Wikimedia Commons ). Right: Al Capone’s cell ( Wikimedia Commons ) Many people believe that ‘Jimmy’ was the ghost of one of Al Capone’s victims, who would torment him night after night. Indeed, one of the seven victims from the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre was named James (“Jimmy”) Clark. Originally born Albert Kachellek, Jimmy was Bugs Moran’s brother-in-law, and died on that bloody February 14. The torment followed Capone after he left Eastern State Penitentiary and went on to serve another 11 years at Atlanta US Penitentiary and Alcatraz for tax evasion. In 1931, Capone even called in a medium, named Alice Britt, to try to find out what Jimmy wanted. Apparently, Britt was unsuccessful and Capone continued to be terrorized.

Others point to a more scientific explanation for his torment. Syphilis Claims the Mind of Al Capone At about 20 years of age, Capone worked as a bouncer in a brothel, where he contracted syphilis. He never sought treatment, which caused the disease to advance into neurosyphilis, leading to dementia. After serving six-and-a-half years in prison, Capone was released in 1939 to a mental hospital in Baltimore, where he remained for three years. Al Capone’s health deteriorated and by 1946, his physician and Baltimore psychiatrist performed examinations and concluded Capone had the mental capacity of a 12-year-old child. On January 25, 1947, Capone died of cardiac arrest. He was buried аt Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. 8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone - History Lists History Lists There's more than meets the eye to Al Capone, the Prohibition-era leader of organized crime in Chicago.

Share this: 8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone Author 8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone URL During America’s Prohibition era, Al Capone headed a Chicago-based crime empire that raked in millions of dollars each year through bootlegging, gambling and other illicit activities. Check out eight surprising facts about the notorious mob boss. Capone was in a street gang as a child. Born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York, Alphonse Capone was the fourth of nine children. His parents, Gabriele, a barber, and Teresa Capone, were immigrants from Angri, Italy. Capone belonged to a street gang as a boy and dropped out of school in sixth grade, later joining the Five Points Gang in Manhattan and working as a bouncer and bartender at the Harvard Inn, a Coney Island bar owned by mobster Frankie Yale. In 1918, he married Mae Coughlin; the couple remained together until Capone’s death and had one child, Sonny. By 1920, Capone had moved to Chicago.

Some stories claim he went there out of a need to lay low after severely injuring a rival gang member in a fight, while other accounts say Capone was recruited to come to Chicago by Johnny Torrio, a former Brooklyn mobster then making his mark on organized crime in the Windy City. He hated his famous nickname. In 1917, Capone’s face was slashed during a fight at the Harvard Inn, after he insulted a female patron and her brother retaliated, leaving him with three indelible scars. Capone would attempt to shield the scarred side of his face in photographs, and tried to write them off as war wounds—although he never served in the military. After achieving prominence as a gangster, Capone was dubbed Scarface by the press, a nickname he intensely disliked. Criminal associates referred to the mob boss as the Big Fellow, while friends knew him as Snorky, a slang term that meant spiffy. Capone’s crime gang raked in as much as $100 million annually. After arriving in Chicago, Capone worked for Torrio, who was part of a criminal network headed by a man named Big Jim Colosimo.

When Colosimo was killed (possibly as a hit ordered by Torrio and carried out by Capone’s former boss Frankie Yale), Torrio took over as boss and made Capone one of his key aides. In January 1925, Torrio was gunned down outside his Illinois home. He survived the attack but left Chicago later that year, choosing 26-year-old Capone as his replacement. Capone expanded “the outfit,” as he referred to his underworld organization, and went on to become one of America’s leading mobsters. By some estimates, his crime syndicate pulled in around $100 million a year, the largest portion from bootlegging, followed by gambling, prostitution, racketeering and other illicit activities. A flashy dresser who liked chatting with reporters and became an international celebrity, Capone didn’t apologize for the way he made his living. He claimed to be doing a “public service” for Chicagoans, stating: “Ninety percent of the people of Cook County drink and gamble and my offense has been to furnish them with those amusements.” He was never charged in connection with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

On the morning of February 14, 1929, seven men affiliated with the George “Bugs” Moran gang were shot to death while lined up against a wall inside a garage in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The victims included five of Moran’s criminal associates along with a mechanic who worked for him and an optometrist who hung around the group; Moran himself wasn’t there. The group of attackers consisted of at least four men, two of them dressed as police officers. The crime became known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and stunned the nation. Authorities investigated a variety of theories and suspects to little avail. There eventually was ample public speculation that Capone, a Moran rival, had masterminded the murders (he was in Florida when they took place); however, he was never charged in the case, which went unsolved. Eliot Ness’s role in Capone’s downfall was exaggerated. Thanks to federal agent Ness’s best-selling memoir “The Untouchables,” which spawned a TV series and movie, he has been credited as the man who took down Capone. In fact, much of the memoir was embellished by its co-author, Oscar Fraley.

As a Prohibition agent, Ness and a small team of men raided illegal breweries and other places linked to Capone’s bootlegging operations around Chicago. Because the agents supposedly refused to accept bribes, they were dubbed the Untouchables by the press. Although Ness’s work helped lead to Capone’s indictment for Prohibition violations, the government instead focused on prosecuting the mobster for tax evasion and his 1931 conviction on those charges is what sent him to prison. Ness went on to serve as Cleveland’s director of public safety and made an unsuccessful bid for mayor there in 1947. His later years were marred by heavy drinking and he died at his home in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, in 1957, the year “The Untouchables” was published. Capone was convicted for tax fraud but not murder. Although he controlled a criminal empire and ordered hits on a multitude of his enemies, Capone managed to avoid prosecution for years by paying off police and public officials and threatening witnesses.

The mob boss finally was slapped with his first criminal conviction in May 1929, after he was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in Philadelphia—at the time, he was on his way back to Chicago following a summit of organized-crime honchos in Atlantic City, New Jersey—and swiftly sentenced to a year in jail. He was freed in March 1930 and a month later the Chicago Crime Commission released its first-ever list of the city’s worst criminals; Capone was named Public Enemy No. 1. Meanwhile, on orders from President Herbert Hoover to nail Capone, the federal government built a case against the crime boss for income-tax fraud, and in June 1931, he was indicted on charges of tax evasion. Capone agreed to a plea deal that included a recommended prison sentence of two-and-a-half years; however, the judge in the case refused to accept the deal. Capone withdrew his guilty plea and the case went to trial. At the start of the highly publicized proceedings, the judge switched out the pool of prospective jurors after learning bribes had been offered in an effort to seat a Capone-friendly jury.

In October 1931, the all-male jury (Illinois didn’t allow female jurors until 1939) found the gangster guilty of five charges (three felonies and two misdemeanors) of the more than 20 counts against him. He was sentenced to 11 years behind bars and fined $50,000; it was the harshest sentence delivered for tax fraud up to that point. He was among the earliest federal prisoners at Alcatraz. In May 1932, 33-year-old Capone began his sentence for tax evasion at the U.S. penitentiary in Atlanta. Two years later, in August 1934, he and a group of fellow inmates were sent by train to California then transported to the recently opened federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The maximum-security prison, intended to hold criminals who were especially violent or had other disciplinary problems, had received its first contingent of federal inmates earlier that August. Because Capone wasn’t a troublemaker while locked up in Atlanta, he likely was sent to Alcatraz as a way for the government to generate publicity for its tough, new facility.

While at Alcatraz, Capone, who’d been diagnosed with syphilis during a medical exam at the Atlanta penitentiary, started showing signs of the disease, including dementia. As his condition worsened, prison doctors treated him with malaria injections in the hope that the fevers caused by malaria would wipe out the syphilis. Instead, the treatment nearly proved fatal for Capone. In January 1939, he was released from Alcatraz and transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island, near Los Angeles, to serve his one-year misdemeanor sentence. Capone spent his final years out of the public spotlight. Capone was released from prison in November 1939 then underwent several months of treatment for syphilis at a Baltimore hospital. Afterward, the famous gangster spent much of his time out of the public spotlight, fishing and playing cards at the Palm Island, Florida, mansion he’d owned since 1928. In the 1940s, he became one of the first civilians to receive penicillin for syphilis, although it was too late to cure him.

In January 1947, the 48-year-old Capone suffered a stroke then came down with pneumonia; he died at his Florida home on January 25. Capone was buried at Chicago’s Mount Olivet Cemetery, near the graves of his father and one of his brothers. In 1950, the Capone family had the remains of the three men moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Tags 15 Fascinating Facts about Al Capone By: Chris Flynn - at January 30, 2014 15 Fascinating Facts about Al Capone Al Capone is one of the most infamous characters from American history. Al Capone's career as a crime boss in Prohibition-Era Chicago is very well known. His participation in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and other violent "gangland" Chicago activities during the 20s and 30s lands him squarely in the "Who's Who of American Criminals." Nevertheless for all his violent crimes, either committed by himself or by members of his gang, he really is, in certain respects, no different than many successful businessmen.

While parts of his life were surprisingly ordinary, his racketeering enterprises were far from the norm. So, while itï¿½s easy to think of Capone as a villain or antihero, itï¿½s the details of his life that cause people to regard the gangster with interest. Here are 15 facts you may not know about Al Capone that make his life a continual interest to the public. Also known as ï¿½Scarface,ï¿½ Capone, unlike similar gangsters of his era, did not come from an impoverished background. He infamously rose to fame as the boss of the Chicago Mafia during the period, known as Prohibition. The nefarious earnings he made rose to $100 million before he was sentenced for tax evasion and sent to Alcatraz in 1931. 15) An Ordinary Kid For a man who became a hardened career criminal with multiple murders credited to his name, Caponeï¿½s early life was remarkably ordinary, if not uneventful. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian immigrant parents, Capone was raised by his mother who was a seamstress, and his father who made a living as a barber.

Al, whose actual name was Alphonse, was one of eight children living a typical immigrant lifestyle in the heart of New York City. Borough Hall and Subway Entrance, Brooklyn, NY 1908: Al was a smart kid and a good student in elementary school, but he started falling behind in the sixth grade. Forced to repeat sixth grade, Caponeï¿½s faltering studies had less to do with his intelligence or abilities and more to do with his involvement with trouble-making gangs. As a result, Capone started skipping school and spending time at the Brooklyn docks. Capone stopped attending school when a teacher struck him for being insolent in class. Capone hit the teacher back and was given a beating from the principal as punishment for the offense. After that time, Capone walked away from school and never looked back. It's clear that his early success as a student showed his potential to realize success in a legitimate career field. However, his willingness to use his fists and defy authority foreshadowed the man that he eventually came to be.

14) Fundamental Relationships After Caponeï¿½s departure from school, his family moved out of their first home in a Brooklyn tenement and relocated to similar housing in Brooklynï¿½s Park Slope neighborhood. While living in the community, Capone met the woman he would one day marry. Mary Coughlin, usually called Mae. He married Mae shortly after she gave birth to their son and remained married to her for the rest of his life. The ever-loyal wife even remained by Caponeï¿½s side when he spent time in prison. Very little is known about Mae because, unlike her husband, she preferred to live a quiet life rather than be flamboyant. Mobsters during the 20s and 30s kept their illegal activities separate from their family lives. So, if little has been written about Caponeï¿½s wife, itï¿½s really not all that surprising, given the nature of the gangster lifestyle during the period. June 1931 - Capone is Sent to Prison - This is the U.S. Department of Justice Photo: Mae wasn't the only person Capone met in Park Slope.

The future mobster also first crossed paths with racketeer Johnny Torrio in the Brooklyn community. Torrio, who, at the time, was running an illicit gambling operation, had Capone working for him running small errands. In a small matter of time, the two became fast friends and continued their association later in Chicago. 13) Straight Man So, Capone didn't start out in life as a criminal. While he was a member of Brooklyn gangs as a young man, he really didnï¿½t get into any significant trouble. In his younger years then, Capone maintained a record of legitimate employment, especially in jobs that made use of his size and strength. Capone worked in a munitions factory and then as a paper cutter. He held jobs in a candy store and in a bowling alley. Also, after marrying Mae Coughlin, Capone was determined to do the right thing for his family. As a result, the couple moved to Baltimore, away from Caponeï¿½s former gang contacts in New York, where the future mob boss took a job as bookkeeper with a construction company.

Johnny "Papa Johnny" Torrio: During this time, Capone remained good friends with Johnny Torrio, who was also the godfather to Caponeï¿½s son, Albert. As indicated though, it was that relationship that drew Capone into the life of a criminal. After Alï¿½s father died of a heart attack in 1920, Torrio invited the legitimate businessman to work with him in Chicago. 12) Bookkeeper for the Mob While Capone was busy working as a legit clerk for a legit company, Torrio was king of an illicit, but lucrative, business empire in Chicago, running gambling rings and brothels. When the 18th Amendment became law in 1920, it ushered in the era of Prohibition. In turn, Torrio smelled profits, and lots of them. Bootlegging was the new game in town, and Torrio was ready and able to take advantage of this new activity.

Orange County Sheriff's Dumping Illegal Booze 1932: By Orange County Archives via Wikimedia Commons When Capone joined Torrio, his blend of gang experience and a legitimate work history made him especially valuable to Torrioï¿½s bootlegging and illicit activities. Therefore, Capone brought both street smarts and bookkeeping skills to Torrio's operations in Chicago, helping the organization prosper and become even more profitable. In addition to their long-time relationship, Torrio appreciated Capone's skills. It wasn't long until the illicit businessman promoted Capone to partner of the operation. Later on, when Capone was top dog, he still considered himself primarily a businessman. This is the real reason he was so successful. He took his business very seriously, regardless of the fact that it was primarily made up of illegal activities. Even when he was ordering violent hits on competitors, the mobster totally focused on the business at hand. The violence he provoked then was intended to protect his concerns and interests, first and foremost above all else. Therefore, Capone saw the corruption and violence as just being part of the job. 11) Celebrity Days Celebrity culture is no recent development.

In the Roaring Twenties, being a celebrity was as highly touted as it is today. For example, during the time period, Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth were two of the day's top celebrities. Al Capone was another one of these stars. The media followed the criminal with abandon and Capone loved it. Businessmen of the period believed that having a degree of celebrity was an essential part of real success. So, to be a real entrepreneur, it was vital to have a strong personality, and to be a character the press could follow with a great deal of verve. It was all a part of being a success. Al Capone's Car: By Al Pavangkanan via Wikimedia Commons Indeed, Capone entertained the press, even hiring his own press agent. In fact, Capone was very deliberate about creating his public image. He even asked photographers to take pictures of him from the right so they would capture his ï¿½goodï¿½ side. Capone also wore expensive, finely tailored suits, and always looked comfortable - dressed to the nines. His style was a careful combination of respectable businessman and flamboyant, devil-may-care, media personality.

Capone wore gorgeously tailored suits in bright colors such as lime and purple, combining the business magnate with the showman in a way that only enhanced his celebrity status and public acclaim. 10) What's In a Nickname There was a good reason Al Capone wanted to be photographed from the right. His best-known nickname, "Scarface," came because of severe scarring on the left side of his face. In his earlier years, before he moved to Chicago, Capone was employed by gangster Frankie Yale, an acquaintance he by way of Johnny Torrio. Frankie hired him as a bartender and bouncer for a Coney Island inn. One evening, Capone made an improper comment to a woman at the bar, and her brother took exception to the uncomplimentary remark. In turn, the brother punched and slashed Caponeï¿½s face, leaving the scars that gave him his famous nickname. By MAV Villagrasa via Wikimedia Commons ï¿½Scarfaceï¿½ himself, hated the name. It didn't suit the image he wanted to create. Among friends and associates, he was known as "Snorky," which was a slang term denoting elegance.

- The Tao Of Badass - 9) Family Business Of all the ironic careers possible, this one takes the cake. Capone's brother James was seven years his elder, but didn't take to city life like Al did. Feeling that the city just wasn't the place for him, he set out on his own at age 16, heading west. He traveled all over the Midwest, using the name Richard Hart to avoid the prejudice that typically ensued by having an Italian background. Therefore, James would claim to be Mexican or Native American instead. Oldest Brother James Capone: James was fascinated with guns and became an expert marksman, spending hours shooting at bottles and cans to hone his skills. Following World War I, he claimed that he had gained his skill with a gun while serving in France, though no record of his military service was ever produced. Nonetheless, he embroidered his "military service" heavily, claiming he had attained a lieutenant's rank and received a medal for sharpshooting. Settling down in Nebraska, James became a town marshal and then a state sheriff, before becoming a Prohibition officer in the state.

So, while his brother Al was gaining power and fame as a bootlegger in Chicago, James was busy running raids and making arrests for illegal alcohol production and possession, just a couple of states away. Capone's Entrance Photo at Alcatraz 1931: "Richard Hart" became locally famous for the success of his efforts, often donning disguises and going undercover to catch people in their bootlegging crimes. He earned his own nickname, "Two Gun Hart," for his skill as a marksman and the pair of pearl-handled pistols that were his preferred weaponry. 8) Philanthropist It wasn't all booze-running and machine-gunning for Capone. He also was, in surprising ways, a philanthropist. When the stock market crashed and the Depression struck in 1929, Capone was the first person to open soup kitchens for workers who were down on their luck. He also instituted a program that provided free milk to school children throughout the Windy City. In addition, he ordered shopkeepers to give food and clothing to the poor, at their own expense. With all of the violence and corruption that he instigated, which followed him everywhere, Capone could also be a fair and generous man.

He required loyalty from his gangs, but he was also devoted himself, remaining loyal to friends and colleagues. Al Capone in 1935: While he was known for having a terrible temper and a deeply set sense of honor, his public image as a philanthropist was still noted, even if his cynics scoffed at the gangsterï¿½s beneficence. 7) Golfer Capone acted like an ordinary businessman in another way: he loved golf. Generally, the mobsters of his day loved sports. Capone, who managed the careers of some fighters, enjoy baseball as well. In addition to these two pursuits, Capone and his cronies took to the links too. Capone's regular course was the Burnham Woods golf course south of Chicago. He and several of his associates met there regularly to play several rounds. However, the frequency in which they played didn't have an appreciable effect on the development of their skills. Capone didn't seem to be very interested in improving his game. On the course, the gangsters drank heavily, gambled on every hole, and carried loaded weapons in their golf bagsï¿½just in case.

One of his caddies was an eight-year-old named Tim Sullivan, who later recalled his experiences hauling clubs around for the notorious mobster. He described bets of $500 being made per hole among gangsters with names as lurid as Scarface's. "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and Fred "The Killer" Burke were some of Caponeï¿½s golfing buddies. One time, when Capone hooked a shot far off the course into a clump of trees, Sullivan scrambled for ten minutes trying to find the ball, afraid of Capone's wrath if he failed. However, Capone just laughed it off, patted Sullivan patronizingly on the head, and asked for a new ball instead. 6) Shot by a Gangster ï¿½ Namely, Himself Being a gangster meant running the risk of injury or brutal death. But in one instance when Capone was injured, no one was to blame but himself. After one of his wild golf games at the Burnham Woods course, Capone was getting into a car to go back to Chicago. The .38 revolver pistol he carried in his pocket went off by accident, hitting both of his legs and narrowly missing his abdomen.

Al Capone's .38 Revolver When it Was Recently Auctioned for $110,000: The bullet finally became lodged in the left leg of the mobster. Johnny Patton, the friend who was playing golf with Capone that day, rushed the gangster to St. Margaret's Hospital in Hammond for treatment. Registering at the hospital under a fake name, Capone was treated for his wounds ï¿½ none of which were surprisingly too serious. To make sure that no one took advantage of his momentary discomfiture, a group of his associates and bodyguards effectively moved into the hospital with him, taking up five separate rooms until the gangster was discharged. 5) Civilized Shootings In recent years, America has become sadly familiar with various instances of gun violence and mass shootings. In imagining the violent nature of Chicago's Gangland past, then, it's easy to guess that any number of innocents were swept up in the chaos. Very few innocent people were killed during the gang wars of Prohibition-era Chicago.

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre: Yes, itï¿½s true - there was terrible violence, but it was primarily targeted at rival gang members or bosses, any of whom were out to gain a business advantage. Even the infamous Valentine's Day Massacre, which Al Capone was blamed for ordering, only targeted rival gang members. The loss of human life was terrible, but nonetheless limited in this respect. While the machine guns sported by the mobsters may have had some impact, the idea of being run by mobsters caused more concern, especially when it came to the damage the activity could cause to a cityï¿½s reputation. The police, at that time did so little to control the gangsters, there was seldom little sympathy among the general public when some of them were killed. But the citizens of Chicago, especially businessmen, grew increasingly concerned and fed up with the image the city had developed. All that corruption and violence was just plain bad for business. Ultimately, business people were more responsible for ending mob violence than the police. 4) A Little White-Collar Crime Despite years of bootlegging, murder, bribery, and all forms of racketeering Capone was never indicted for any of these illegal actions -- except one.

While the police never managed to catch him, the IRS finally did. It was commonly believed in the 1920s and ï¿½30s that earnings from illegal gambling or other such activities were not taxable. If profits were earned via illicit businesses then, it was just an extra amenity if the government didn't get a cut. A court ruling in 1927 claimed that illegal profits were actually taxable. The mandate, which was part of a federal strategy to indict Capone for tax evasion, worked. During his time as a businessman, Capone never filed a tax return or made any declaration of income or assets. He also was careful to keep his identity separate from his business dealings, running everything through front men and owning nothing in his own name. Capone Escorted by the Law Enforcement of the IRS - the CID: The IRS assigned an investigator from their Special Intelligence Unit, Frank Wilson, to focus on Capone. In turn, Wilson found a ledger showing net profits for a gambling house, which included Capone's name. Later on, Capone's tax lawyer wrote a letter to the government admitting that Capone had an income.

These two documents were instrumental in the court case that convicted Capone of the tax evasion charge. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the offense. 3) Ordinary Prison, Extraordinary Prisoner Al Capone is one of the criminals who put Alcatraz on the map, giving it a public reputation as one of the most notorious prisons in U.S. history. However, Capone didn't begin his sentence there. The offender began serving his prison sentence in Atlanta, at what was then the most stringent Federal prison in the U.S. However, he quickly put his charm and connections to good use. As a result, Capone managed to take control of his prison experience, garnering special privileges from the authorities. Caponeï¿½s cell was furnished with rugs and a mirror, and he acquired a typewriter and a set of encyclopedias too. Word got out, though, that Capone was living large even in prison. To remedy the situation, he was sent to the newly-opened Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The US government wanted to demonstrate that it was serious about taking on the crime bred by Prohibition's limits.

Al Capone's Lavishly Furnished Jail Cell - Eastern State Penitentiary, PA: By Adam Jones via Wikimedia Commons The facility's primary purpose then was to take on the prisoners that no other prison could handle or wanted to manage. As a result, the prison facility ended up housing many of the era's worst mobsters, including Al Capone and several of his associates and competitors. Capone was unable to gain any special privileges, and eventually settled into being a model prisoner in an attempt to have his sentence reduced for good behavior. 2) Presidential Service Part of Capone's business success depended on keeping himself safe from rival gangsters. So, to protect himself on the road, Capone ordered a special bullet-proof Cadillac town car, with inch-thick glass and several thousand pounds of steel armor. When he went to prison in 1931, the car was seized by the U.S. Treasury Department and stored. Eleven years later, America was shocked by the Pearl Harbor attack. With much of the world already at war, it seemed clear that the U.S. was about to join the fight. Citizens from coast to coast waited for President Rooseveltï¿½s declaration of war. However, there was a small snag.

The Secret Service decided that President Roosevelt needed a bullet-proof car to protect the President from assassination attempts by German or Japanese sympathizers. Federal law, however, prohibited purchasing any car that cost more than $750, which was much less than the cost of an armored car. Roosevelt's Capone Cadillac was Similar to a 1928 V-16 Madam X: Fortunately, one of the Secret Service agents discovered that there was such a car already in the possession of the U.S. government - Al Capone's Cadillac. Government mechanics and other employees worked through the night to prepare the car, and on December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt made the trip to address Congress in the gangster's former car. 1) Unglamorous End Al Capone's charmed life fell apart after his conviction for tax evasion. Also, while the gangster was in prison, Prohibition was repealed, pulling the rug out from under much of his business. His gang fell apart, and his business was no longer prospering. Even worse, his health failed. Capone had contracted syphilis early in life, which progressed into its late stages while he was serving his prison term.

In addition, he began to show signs of dementia resulting from the disease, and spent the end of his sentence in a prison hospital. After his release, Capone moved to Florida. Al Capone's Grave: By JOE M500 via Wikimedia Commons At the end, the former gangster celebrity's mental faculties were reduced to those of a child - his long-term memories erased by the disease. The gangster finally succumbed to his illness and died in 1947. Conclusion In some ways, Al Capone is full of contradictions. Notorious gangster and noted philanthropist; brutal murderer and sensible businessman; a criminal who considered himself a family man and loyal friend. His crimes are stark, but like any human, he was a complex character. No matter how he is rememberedï¿½a celebrity and icon of the Roaring Twenties or a despicable gangster who promoted vice and profited from itï¿½he left a strong mark in American history. References:

Question: What disease claimed the life of notorious American gangster, Al Capone?
Answer: SYPHILIS